By Joselina Rodríguez
Photos: Liliana Elías
Behind every little piece of chocolate that seduces the palate, there are several characters that made possible this magical moment, among them cocoa harvesters, producers, engineers, craftsmen, manufacturers and other protagonists of stories that in due course you will know from Vivaelcacao.
Each and every one of them plays an important role in the production of this tropical fruit, which in order to become chocolate must go through an arduous path, starting from the preparation of the land where cocoa will be cultivated. During this phase, it is essential to have the advice of an agricultural specialist who, in addition to providing theoretical and practical knowledge to producers, can provide solutions to problems in the cocoa subject.
In this way it was remarked by Iraima Chacón, Agricultural Engineer and Coordinator of the Socialist Centre for Research and Development of Cocoa in CORPOZULIA, who said that her work focuses on guiding producers, identifying their needs and making productive plantations of this vital fruit. “The Agronomist is in charge of evaluating the land, checking its quality, sharing knowledge with the cocoa producer, with the objective of increasing production as well as productivity,” she emphasized.
Likewise, Chacón explained that within this specialist functions, it is also the task of conducting research on cocoa in short and medium terms, in order to keep updated and provide information to producers of the precious seed.
“Our duty is to show the producer that cocoa is a highly productive crop and that by having a good use of agricultural practices, he can get outstanding results. For instance, teaching him to carry out a good pruning or how to hoe a watering furrow, can guarantee a healthy and high quality cocoa production, which also turns into productivity increase and economic benefits “she said.
Carlos Acosta, Agricultural Engineer graduated from the UCV in Aragua state and former researcher at Nestlé Venezuela, points out that the managerial responsibility of an agricultural engineer is to provide recommendations to producers, to encourage good agricultural practices, to promote the sustainable development of cocoa and to take advantage of the rational use of natural resources.
“The role of the agricultural engineer is very broad and comprehensive, but above all, he seeks to ensure a balance between the harvest and the environment, without having to destroy the soil by using fertilizers or chemicals, in favour of satisfaction of both, who produces it and who consumes it. We are also able to provide solutions to technical, legal, social and economic problems linked to the sector nationwide, taking into account the international scope. In this respect, the knowledge transfer will allow the optimization of agricultural production, in order to promote a change in attitude and also an improvement in society, “he said.
According to Acosta, the agricultural engineer has the expertise to evaluate the soil conditions where the cocoa is to be planted, to know which seed is more suitable for a particular area of work, to encourage good agricultural practices to allow food innocuousness and to participate directly in the processing stages of the grain, such as sanitizing, roasting, husking, grinding, pressing, blending, moulding and packaging.
“Monitoring these activities ensures compliance with certain parameters, which, if not complied with, might damage the product and harm the consumer, resulting in legal claims,” he says.
For both agricultural engineers, beyond providing absorbable knowledge to those who work with the precious seed, it is vital to know the potential and give value to their traditional techniques, as well as to perform constant monitoring to clarify their doubts, to update them and serve as a connection between the traders and governmental entities, so that they could improve their living standards.
This is how we intend to act from Viva el Cacao, with the objective of informing, educating, entertaining and strengthening bonds between those who benefit from this Venezuelan seed, which has seduced palates and will cause a stir from our showcase.
